Başak Çalı

The Cluster of Excellence Transforming Human Rights at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) is advertising up to five full-time postdoc positions starting on 1 January 2027 or later . The cluster studies how human rights norms, institutions, and practices are changing in the context of five major global megatrends: autocratization , planetary environmental crises , migration , fragmented economic globalization , and digitalization . The call is open to excellent early-career researchers from a range of disciplinary backgrounds. The post specifically welcomes applicants with expertise in geography and related fields such as political geography , legal geography , digital geography , migration studies , environmental geography , urban and economic geography , and critical GIS/RS . More broadly, the cluster also seeks researchers working on human rights from law, political science, philosophy, anthropology, history, management studies, or computer science. Successful candidates will conduct independent and collaborative research on the transformation of human rights, preferably linked to at least one of the megatrends, and projects that bridge two megatrends are especially welcome. The positions include an individual research budget , support from a Postdoc Advisory Committee , and opportunities for extended research stays with international partner institutions or human rights organizations. Eligibility highlights: applicants must have a completed PhD/doctorate by the starting date, and the PhD should have been awarded no more than three years before the contract start. Applicants should have an excellent academic record, initial publication experience, and fluency in English; additional languages are an asset. Application deadline: 25 August 2026. Applicants must submit a cover letter, CV, list of publications, copies of certificates, and a five-page project proposal via the online application portal. Applications should not be sent by post or email. Contact: Dr. Maria Jose Luque ([email protected]). The cluster also notes its commitment to equity, diversity, and support for applicants from underrepresented or disadvantaged backgrounds.